Dan Snyder gets rewarded for bad behavior
Washington Commander fans everywhere can rejoice! Dan Snyder has finally sold the team, ending one of the worst eras of ownership in sports. The sale set a world record for a sports organization, selling for a whopping $6.05 billion dollars. But the more important piece of the story is how we got to the point of selling the team, which results in Snyder being rewarded for his bad behavior.
Poor Management
First, we have to talk about how terribly run Washington is. On a former podcast for this site that I was once a co-host of, a discussion occurred with a guest of ours about how important the Washington franchise was during the early years of the NFL. From the ’70s to ’90s, Washington stayed competitive, won Super Bowls and broke barriers in the league. In 20 years’ time, Snyder turned Washington into a laughingstock.
Snyder bought Washington in 1999, eight years removed from their previous Super Bowl victory. During Snyder’s entire ownership tenure, Washington won just one playoff game. To be fair, other teams (like my Miami Dolphins) are in historic droughts. Like with Snyder, I have my thoughts I Miami’s ownership. But that is another topic for another day.
The Bad Guy
Running a franchise poorly is one thing. Dan Snyder decided to take it a step forward. Three years ago, a large number of women came forward about sexual harassment within the organization. Many of these complaints had Snyder front and center. In one incident, he was only stopped from pushing a woman into his car because his lawyer said it was a bad idea. There wasn’t a real human resources department for these women to go to.
Ben Standing, one of the attorneys representing the women, put out a statement saying this is a victory for the women. I’d agree, except Snyder really wasn’t punished in any way. But if the women do find some closure from this, then good for them.
Statement from attorneys @LisaBanksKBK and @DebraKatzKBK on Dan Snyder and the findings in the Mary Jo White report: pic.twitter.com/oOik5qOgi8
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 21, 2023
As news of the sale broke, so too did more news of Snyder being terrible. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Snyder withheld approximately $11 million in revenue that should’ve been shared with the rest of the league. That’s not pocket change. I don’t care how rich other owners are, they all want their money. Snyder received a $60 million fine.
Statement from attorneys @LisaBanksKBK and @DebraKatzKBK on Dan Snyder and the findings in the Mary Jo White report: pic.twitter.com/oOik5qOgi8
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) July 21, 2023
Bad Guys Finish First
The $60 million fine and selling the team are just a slap on the wrist, nothing more. Snyder just became a billionaire six times over. Do you think he cares? Snyder can easily live off $6 billion or find other businesses to continue making money. Yes, he should no longer be the owner of the Commanders, but I fail to see how this is punishment.
If an owner acts as Snyder did, they should lose the team. Force them to sell it at a fraction of its evaluation, or sell for the full price, but the owner gets a fraction of the money. This was the chance to really make an example to owners across American sports. The Dolphins lost a first-round pick because of Stephen Ross.
The Commanders are not a great team and somehow they sold for $6 billion. Our society keeps rewarding people who do terrible things to people. Why should someone who is a terrible human get so much money for being a terrible human?
At the end of the day, Snyder’s selling is a positive. Maybe there is hope for Washington fans. Perhaps some competent ownership can lead Washington back to where it was 30 years ago. The NFC East is usually a wide-open division. The NFC as a whole really only has two teams that can make a Super Bowl run. New ownership usually means heavy changes in the front office and coaching staff.
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